Gravitational motion for vertical levers on two-wheeled load trans-porting vehicles



July 31, 1951 DANALls 2,562,701

GRAVITATIONAL. MOTION FOR VERTICAL LEVERS ON TWO WHEELED LOAD TRANSPORTING VEHICLES Filed April 21, 19 48 INVENTOR. PETER DANALIS Patented July 31, 1951 GRAVITATIONAL MOTION FOR VERTICAL LEVERS ON TWO-WHEELED LOAD TRANS- PORTIN G VEHICLES Peter Danalis, Rockaway Beach, N. Y.

Application April 21, 1948, Serial N 0. 22,354

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in two-wheeled load-transporting vehicles, and, more specifically, there is provided by the invention a carriage supported on and rotatively mounting a pair of spaced side wheels, with said carriage incorporating a structure for swingably mounting a weight, a a load-carrying body, in such manner that, although when the vehicle is stationary such weight is so disposed relative to the axis of rotation of the wheels that its center of gravity is vertically below their axis of rotation, incidental to putting the vehicle in motion said weight is swung to assume and maintain a position so related to said axis that the pulling or pushing force employed to effect motion of the vehicle is markedly reduced.

For achieving this result, as in a trundle cart or one to be pulled or pushed by a person handling the same, the invention is preferably carried out by providing a carriage including an inverted yoke, by providing an arm normally vertically upstanding from the yoke structure, by providing a pull or push rod having its end adjacent to the carriage pivotally connected to the upper end of said arm, by mounting the wheels on opposite sides of the yoke structure and at points intermediate the tops and bottoms of the two depending side limbs of the yoke structure, and by pivotally mounting the load-carrying body within the yoke structure at points at or near the bottoms of said side limbs.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of an embodiment of the invention as now favored.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing in dot and dash lines redispositions of certain of the parts during movement of the vehicle in response to a pulling or pushing force applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the yoke structure per se with a portion of the arm extending therefrom.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the carriage aforesaid is illustrated as comprising a yoke structure II] of inverted U type, carrying intermediate the tops and bottoms of its two depending side arms II iournalling means, as indicated 2 at I2, for the two wheels I4, with each such when carrying its own stub-axle I5.

At or near the lower ends of the arms I l of the yoke structure Ill, and between said limbs, the element I6 is rotatively suspended, as by way of the trunnion means indicated at IT. This element I6, theoretically a weight to be transported, for practical purposes would be a hollow body, including, according to the shape shown, a bottom wall, front and side walls and two end walls, and so providing a chamber therein for receiving a load to be transported.

From Fig. 3 it will be noted that the bottom ends I I of the side arms I I of the yoke structure III are offset from the journalling means I2 to the free bottom ends of the side arms II. It is the offset ends II of the side arms II which are formed with openings Il for the trunnion means I! of the element I6. As shown in Fig. 3, the journalling means I2 and the openings Il will be disposed to one side of the journalling means I2.

Suitably rigidly secured to the top of the yoke structure II), as at I5, is an arm 20 which, relative to the element I6, constitutes in effect a lever of the first class, with its fulcrum at the journalling means I2. As here shown, the arm 20 is of rather considerable length, and therefore the lever is one of high mechanical advantage.

The weight of the element It tends to retain the yoke structure I5 is a position in which the trunnion means I1 will be vertically below the journalling means is so that the arm 20 will extend upwards at an inclination from the vertical, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. This is caused by the offset formation of the lower ends II of the side arms I I of the yoke structure I 0.

A pulling or pushing handle 2| is provided, and is connected at one end to the upper end of the arm 20. The handle 2! may have a hand-grip 22 secured to its end remote from the arm. The coupling between the handle 2| and the arm 20 is shown as in the form of a universal joint incorporating a collar 22 fixed to the handle El and having suitably rotatively and non-withdrawably mounted therein a fork 23 pivotally connected at 24 to a ring 25 loosely sieeving a reduced cylindrical portion 28 at the upper end of the arm 20 and there retained by a washer 2'! held by a screw 28..

Normally, that is, with the vehicle stationary, the parts are disposed as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Then, with the center of gravity of the load at the bulk center of the element I6, the axis of the journalling means I2 will be vertically 3 above the axis of the trunnion means I I, the arm 20 will be inclined vertically from the top of the yoke structure l0, while the weight represented by the element It and its load if any will have the center of gravity thereof vertically below said axis.

When the arm 20 is moved to extend vertically from the yokestructure ID, as indicated by the dot and dash lines 2E5 in Fig. 2, the offset ends ll of the side arms ll of the yoke structure will move in the opposite direction to move the trunnion means I! to one side of the journalling means [2, shifting the element l6 totheposition illustrated by the dot and dash lines I6 in Fig. 2, so as to shift the center of gravity of theelement IE to one side of the journalling means i2.

However, preparatory to applyinga-pulling-or pushing force to the vehicle by way of the. arm 20, this arm must be lowered to a convenient inclination, correspondingly raising the element [6 to one side of the iournalling means 12, such that its center of gravity is displaced from its normal vertical alignment with the'axes f the journalling means I2 and the trunnion means [1,

with the result that the pulling or pushing force" required to move the vehicle is correspondingly reduced. While'the weight represented by the element H must of course be preliminarily raised, the effort needed for this isvery slight, in view of the functioning'of the arm zfi as alever of the first class having its iulcrumseveral times closer to the weight than to the point of application of the force at the free end of the arm.

When the vehicle is tobemovedby pulling it,

as by use of the hand-grip 22, and with the arm 20 lowered and the handle 2| extended axially therefrom, the preliminary rocking of the arm20 out of the vertical is effectedby a pull on the handle 2| while the latter is extended following initial swinging out of the handle.

When the vehicle is to be moved by pushing it, preliminary rocking of the arm 26 out of the vertical may be effected as above by first swinging the handle 21 outward and then pulling down on the hand-grip 22 until the upper end of the arm 20 is lowered sufficiently for easy manual engagement with said end for then applying a pushing force thereto. The handle 2| may be used for pushing the vehicle, particularly when, in lieu of a universal joint as above described between the arm 20 and the handle, the arm and handle are connected by a coupling means comprising apivotal connection incorporating merely a single horizontal axis.

The pivotal mounting of the element It below the rotation axis of the wheels [4 is particularly useful in reducing the pull required to cause the wheels M to roll over bumps in the road. Let us assume, that the arm 28 is extended forwardly of the device and that the same is being pulled in a forward direction. This forward extension of the arm 20 causes the offset ends ll of the arms ll of the yoke structure to be extended behind the turning axis of the wheels I4 which also places the center of gravity of the element l6 and articles contained therein behind the turning axis of the wheels M. This causes the center of the pull of gravity to be behind the point of contact of the wheels H with the ground over which they are rolling. Therefore, if a bump in the road is encountered by one of the wheels M or simultaneously by both of the wheels, less pull will be required to roll the wheels onto and over the bump and/or bumps, as the wheels will be fully over the bump before the center of gravity of the element 16 passes directly over the bump and/or bumps.

The universal joint between the adjacent ends of the arm 26 and the handle 2| permits movement of the handle 2i in all directions relative to the end of the arm 20 for shortening the pulling tongue as may be required to facilitate movement of the vehicle in close quarters.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In an article of the class described having a yoke of inverted U-shape with a top arm and spaced depending side arms to the outer faces of which wheels are rotatively mounted closely adjacent the bottom ends thereof and a load between the side arms and pivotally mounted on the bottom ends thereof,an arm of considerable length fixedly secured at one end to the top arm to extend upward from the yoke, a handle extended along the front of said arm, a handgrip mounted on the bottom end of said handle, a collar fixed to the top end of said handle, said arm being formed at its top end witha reduced cylindrical portion, a ring turnably sleeving said cylindrical portion, a washer secured to the outer end of said cylindrical portion retaining said ring in position on said cylindrical portion, trunnions extended laterally from opposite sides of said ring, and a fork fixedly connected to said collar and having spaced tines extended along opposite side of said ring and pivotally connected to said trunnions.

PETER DANALIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 217,503 Adair-ct al. July 15, 1879 320,015 Tait June 16, 1885 461,689 Sherman Oct. 20, 1891 9663M Jenks Aug. 2, 1910 1,946,422 Carter Feb. 6, 1934 2,394,245 Koller Feb. 5, 1946 

